The Pun

Yianni in Yianni’s Head

By Ali Duggan ⋅ May 5, 2006 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

In the tradition of the well-known US sitcom ‘Herman’s Head’, Yianni plays the roles of the four dominant voices in his head: love, logic, fear and libido (the latter bizarrely yet somehow aptly named ‘Pierre’). He narrates their journey through a relationship (spotting, meeting, relationship, breaking up), jumping in and out of character as required.

Each voice has a different personality, and while each was distinct, the character development was better in some than others. It was no coincidence that ‘Pierre’, the hilarious Libido, was the only named voice, as he really took on a life of his own. However, this had the effect of highlighting the fact that the other voices lacked the same caricature quality. This, along with the use of PowerPoint, occasionally left me with the impression that I was sitting in a very funny business meeting.

The narration was painfully honest and funny, demonstrating that Yianni doesn’t need to take on a character to be successful at stand-up. His organic, quirky humour puts the audience at ease.

That said, his four voices could provide him with a lifetime of stand-up material. With a little polish and bravado, Yianni’s Head could be a long term crowd puller and a conversation starter for therapists everywhere.